Rabbi wins 'heterosexual of the year'

A rabbi is celebrating his status as the recipient of not one but two awards from gay rights groups.

Rabbi David Lazar was named as "Heterosexual of the year" by a gay magazine in Sweden.

The rabbi, who has served as the minister at Stockholm's Great Synagogue since 2010, won the Yakir Hakehila award - handed out by a Tel Aviv gay group - while working in Israel.

The father of five, 54, is a well-known member of Israel's Masorti movement and has played a prominent role in the fight to advance gay rights and gay marriage in Israel, where he received his previous accolade for working with gay groups.

Rabbi Lazar has played a big role in advancing gay rights

He has continued his mission while in Sweden, working against hate speech and prejudice, and launching a Rainbow Kabbalat Shabbat event.

"I could probably be in the Guinness Book of World Records," Rabbi Lazar told the Times of Israel. "I'm the only rabbi with a gay award on two continents." He said he had been wished mazeltov by members of the Orthodox community as well.